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Cloth with Unicorns, Dragons, Other Animals, and Floral Patterns

1800s

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

Scattered throughout this textile are depictions of both real and imaginary animals: unicorns and dragons exist alongside lions, stags, and an assortment of birds. There are also identifiable plants, flowers, and fruits as well as simply decorative or fictional ones. The maker, whose initials CM appear between the unicorns, perhaps chose to mix fantastical motifs with natural ones to create a more captivating spectacle. This large textile was perhaps meant for use as a table cover.

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  • Title: Cloth with Unicorns, Dragons, Other Animals, and Floral Patterns
  • Date Created: 1800s
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 113.5 x 138 cm (44 11/16 x 54 5/16 in.); Mounted: 121.9 x 146.1 cm (48 x 57 1/2 in.)
  • Type: Lace
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1936.95
  • Medium: Bleached linen: needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in two directions) and alternating cutwork, embroidered squares, and bobbin lace edging
  • Fun Fact: The two-legged dragon with a barbed tail at the corners of the lace cloth is called a wyvern.
  • Department: Textiles
  • Culture: Italy, 19th century
  • Credit Line: The Frances McIntosh Sherwin Collection
  • Collection: Textiles
  • Accession Number: 1936.95
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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